Twitter +44 28 9032 8811

Belfast Healthy Cities

Our vision is that Belfast is recognised globally
as a healthy, equitable and sustainable city

Healthy Cities 21st Century

Beyond Bricks and Mortar Capacity Building Seminar Series June 2015

Capacity building is a key element of the Healthy Urban Environments programme. The focus of programmes is to raise awareness of how health is relevant to spatial planning, to share learning and good practice, and to introduce new concepts and ways of working.

The newest addition to the capacity building programme is lunchtime seminars that provide an introduction to spatial planning and health and offer an opportunity to explore existing local good practice. A programme for health professionals is currently underway, and further programmes open to a number of sectors will be delivered in autumn-winter 2015.

This seminar series aims to:

  • Demonstrate the importance of spatial planning for public health,
  • Introduce the new planning system and its relevance to the health sector
  • Introduce tools that can support integration of public health and planning

Creating the conditions for health and wellbeing is a key theme within the public health strategy Making Life Better. The strategy identifies space and place as key topics within the theme of developing collaboration.

Community planning is also likely to include a focus on themes of healthy living and attractive places, in Belfast as well as other areas in Northern Ireland. Across the UK, there is similarly a growing interest in how planning can assist in achieving improved health and reducing inequalities in health.

This capacity-building programme will seek to support delivery of these aims by providing an opportunity for public health professionals to explore how planning is connected to public health priorities, and identify tools and resources that can help achieve health gain through planning.

The series is particularly targeted at

  • Public health professionals, including Specialist Registrars
  • Environmental health officers,
  • Health improvement professionals
  • Community development professionals within the health family

Session 1: Beyond buildings: How spatial planning shapes health

Session 2: Beyond lifestyle: How spatial planning can encourage physical activity

Session 3: Beyond evidence: How Health Impact Assessment Can Inform Decision-making